Floating automatic signaling apparatus



June 29, 1943. H, e. LUSTFIELD 2,323,064

I FLOATING AUTOMATIC SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed March 30, 1939 INVENTOR, [Herman .Zusfiz'eld,

BY @1 0, m- QZWW ATTORNEY.

Patented June 29, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOATING AUTOMATIC SIGNALING APPARATUS 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic radio life signaling device for hydroairplanes. At the present time such vehicles are equipped with usual radio transmitting apparatus, which is controlled by an operator and serves to send out messages in case of distress. Should however any accident be so serious as to incapacitate the.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevational view showing the apparatus, devices, and diagrams of the circuits of the invention.

Fig. 3 shows a detail of the invention.

The operating parts and devices constituting the entire apparatus I, of the invention, is sup ported by and completely encased within a spherical shell 2, Fig. 2, which is normally retained within a housing 3 forming part of the fuselage 4 of a hydroairplane. The shell 2 rests upon a wooden floor I of housing 3, which floor is re- 1easable from the housing, but is normally held in place in the manner shown by pawls ll pivoted at 9 to said housing, and the shell is maintained in position laterally by a series of rollers bearing thereagainst being mounted in brackets ll secured to said housing. A wire l2 joined to a pawl 8 and a wire l4 joined to a bell-crank l3 are in turn joined at IE to a common wire l6 in the manner shown, and the wire it extends to the officer in charge of the controls of the plane, whereby upon withdrawal of the wire I6 in the direction of the arrow releases the pawls 8 and disengages the floor 1 from the housing 3, thereby causing the shell 2 to drop out of the plane and into the water H, Fig. 2.

The top of housing 3 i normally closed by a ceiling l8 resting upon a rim l9 thereof, and to lugs 20 of said ceiling are pivoted levers 2|, pivoted in turn to a common link 27., normall contacting with the shell 2, and also to bolts 23 which passing through hasps 24 of said ceiling normally engage the rim 19 of the housing and thereby maintain the ceiling l8 locked to the housing 3, in the manner shown. Should, however, the fuselage 4 become inverted through disaster, the shell 2 wouldpress upon link 22 and cause the levers 2! to withdraw the bolts 23 and in turn unlock the ceiling Hi from the housing 3, thereby releasing said ceiling and permitting the shell to drop into the water. Also, in case the plane 5 should sink without opportunity to draw the wire IS, the water would enter the housing 3 through openings 25 thereof and buoy up the shell 2 to similarly actuate the above parts to release the ceiling l8 and permit the free floating of the shell 2. Should, under similar circumstances, the plane sink in inverted condition, the pawls 8 would drop away by their gravity, the floor 7 would become disengaged, and the shell 2 would buoy out of the housing 3. The shell 2 is provided with a weighted keel 2%, whereby, irrespective of the condition in which the shell may reach the water, it will right itself automatically and become disposed with its apparatus and all parts in the upright operative state illustrated in Fig. 2. A cable 21 secured to the keel 26 carries a sea anchor 28, by which means the shell 2 is prevented from drifting.

In the interior of shell 2 is located a radio transmitter 29, secured to a framing 30 fastened to the wall of the shell, from which transmitter the leading in wires iii are connected to a telegraphic key 32 that is operable by a rotatable wheel-disk 33 equipped with a telegraphic periphery 34 mounted on a shaft 35 driven by a spring motor 36 windabie by a stem 31. As the motor 36 is normally in wound condition the wheel 33 is held stationary by a pawl 38 engaging its periphery 34 and fulcrumed at 39 being pivoted at 40 to a rod 4|. Said rod is longitudinally slidable in fixed brackets 42 and carries an arm 43 with'a spring 44 curled therearound between said arm and one of said brackets, as'

shown. and the rod 4| maintains the pawl 38 in operative engagement with the wheel 33 by abut ment of its terminal against a cam 45 forming part of a vertical plunger rod 48 slidable in a tubular guide 41 secured to the framing 3D. The lower end of rod 43 passes through and into a cylinder 48, wherein it is provided with a piston 43 normally maintained in elevated position shown by a spring 5!] located between it and the bottom of the cylinder. When, therefore, the rod 46 is in this position its cam 45 is situated to bear upon the terminal of rod 4| and maintains the pawl 33 in looking engagement with the telegraphic wheel 33. A tube connects an opening 52 in. the shell 2 with an opening 53 in cylinder 43, whereby the water can enter said cylinder and move it downwardly, thereby sliding the rod 46 accordingly and moving the cam away from the rod 4!. This causes the rod 4| to slide toward the left, as viewed in the drawing, by the spring it pressing its arm #3, whereby the pawl 38 is actuated to release the wheel 33 and the latter is permitted to automatically operate the telegraphic key 32. The ingress opening 52 is preferably covered over by a strainer 54, to prevent any solid matter producing obstruction of the conveying tube 5!.

The upper part of the spherical shell 2 is formed as an oblate cover 55, held thereto by a spring hinge 56, and said cover is normally held in closed state, contrary to the opening action of spring hinge 56, by the terminal 51 of the rod 45 being lodged within the bore 58 of a lug 59 of the cover while said rod is maintained in the elevated position shown. When, however, the rod 36 is slid downwardly by the action of the water upon its piston 49 the terminal 51 disengages from the lug 59, and the cover is then automatically opened up to the position shown by the dash and dot lines, Fig. 2, by the action of spring hinge 58, To the framing 3i), Figs. 2, 3, is secured by welding means the end Ell of a springy curled aerial strap 6| which is normally maintained in the condition shown by the rim of cover 55 clamping it against the framing, but when the cover opens up the strap 6! uncurls and erects itself in manner shown in Fig. 3, in which condition it functions as an aerial.

Electric energy current is supplied for the transmitter 29 by a battery 62, from which it flows through wire 63, to switch 64, and along wire 86 to said transmitter, the latter being connected by wire 67 to end of the aerial 6 I. Current is also supplied to the transmitter 29 by a generator 68 operable by a spring motor 69 windable by a stem i0 and releasable by a lever 7|, said generator being connected to the transmitter by wires 12, which are also joined to the battery wires 55, 66 as shown. The spring motor 69 is normally in wound condition,- and when the actuating plunger rod 46 descends, as above described, with its cam 45 the arm 43 impelled by spring 44 strikes the lever H and starts the motor 6% operating to drive the generator 68. Simultaneously, the arm 43 also closes the switch 64, thereby closing the circuit of battery 62 to energize the transmitter 29.

Wires l3 conduct battery current to a lamp [4 and a siren 15, thus furnishing luminary and audible signals for the territory in which the apparatus floats. The inner surface 16 of the cover 55 is coated as a mirror, whereby it receives and reflects the rays from the lamp '4 and serves as a beacon for the apparatus and territory in which it floats. A manual telegraphic key l'l, connected to the transmitter 29 by lead-in wires 18, is mounted within a compartment l9 depending from the framing 30 and covered by a rubber sheet 80, which key can be operated by a survivor reaching thereto, in case the automatic sender 33 fails to operate. There is also provided an emergency plunger 8!, slidably mounted in the lug 59 in the manner illustrated and protruding from the cover 55, which plunger may be depressed by a survivor against the terminal 51 of rod 46 and the latter thereby actuated, in case of its failure to operate automatically. The telegraphic periphery 34 of sending wheel 33 is so designed that it will produce messages vital to life saving signaling, as SOS and name of the airplane, the trip, line, or similar information, and the energy supplied by battery 62, generator 68, and motors 69, 36 will be suflicient to last until rescue reaches the airplane.

When, therefore, the airplane 5 meets with distress, its officer draws the wire [6 and releases the flooring l to drop out the shell 2, which falling into the water assumes an uprightly float able operative position. Thereupon, the water entering the conduit 5| and cylinder 48 presses down upon piston 49 and actuates the rod 46 to set the entire apparatus into operation as above described. The telegraphic wheel 33 and key 32 will then send out the radio life saving signals and information, Which will be picked up by the well known radio beam method by ofiices, stations, and ships, thereby resulting in almost exact location of the disaster and bringing rescue to the distressed. If rescue approaches in darkness, the ship will be guided to precise spot of the disaster by the lamp "it, its reflected light from mirror 16, and by the siren 15 in case of fog, while during daylight the upstanding cover 55 will act as a beacon and sun reflecting beam. Should any accident prevent the ofiicer drawing the wire i6 and drop out the shell 2, the latter will be buoyed up out of its housing 3 when the airplane falls into the water, as above described, whether the plane falls uprightly or invertedly.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A releasable distress signaling apparatus for an airplane having the combination of a waterfioatable shell, said shell encasing within it a radio transmitter, a generator for current, a wound spring motor for operating said generator, a detent for releasing said wound motor, a circuit for feeding said current to said transmitter, and a code transmitter with lead-in wires for said radio transmitter, a motor for actuating said code transmitter, means to arrest the actuation of said code transmitter, mechanism for releasing said detent and said arresting means, and said mechanism being actuated by the pressure of the water of floatation.

2. A releasable distress signaling apparatus for an airplane having the combination of a waterfloatable shell, said shell encasing within it a radio transmitter, means for supplying current, a circuit for feeding said ciu'rent to said transmitter, and a code transmitter with lead-in wires for said radio transmitter, a motor for actuating said code transmitter, means to arrest the actuation of said code transmitter, mechanism for releasing said arresting means, said mechanism being actuated by the pressure of the water of flotation, said shell carrying a collapsible and expansible aerial for said radio transmitter, means to maintain said aerial in collapsed state, and said mechanism when in its said actuation releasing said aerial maintaining means to permit extension of said aerial.

HERMAN G. LUS'IFIELD. 

